Phoenix Rises

The Victoria Islamic Center in Texas that was burned down by arsonists hours after Trump signed his Executive Order on immigration has now, within days, received $1.1 million to rebuild, for a need of $850,00  Quite a great response from Americans -- except for Trump who, as far as I can tell, has been silent.  Bringing Americans together, indeed.  What a nurturing response from the president of all Americans.

In the meantime, while the rebuilding takes place, the local Jewish synagogue contacted the Muslims about letting them use their temple. The president of the synagogue, Robert Loeb, told a newpaper, "We have probably 25 to 30 Jewish people in Victoria, and they probably have 100 Muslims. We got a lot of building for a small amount of Jews."

One of the leaders of the mosque, Shahid Hashmi, said: "Jewish community members walked into my home and gave me a key to the synagogue."

The man who began the online GoFundMe campaign, Omar Rachid, said: "Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the tremendous support we’ve received. The outpouring of love, kind words, hugs, helping hands and the financial contributions are examples of the true American spirit."

Donald Trump has said nothing.

If you're interested, the crowdfunding page is here.